CHRIS BURKE has completed his switch from Cardiff City to Championship rivals Birmingham City – and Michael Chopra looks to be on his way to Ipswich Town in a £1.5m transfer.

Those departures highlight the need for Bluebirds chairman Dato Chan Tien Ghee and his fellow directors to appoint a new manager as quickly as possible.

If Chopra, Cardiff City’s highest paid player last season, does make his expected switch to Ipswich then a new manager would be left with only two strikers in his squad – Jon Parkin and first year pro Nat Jarvis.

Cardiff rebuffed that offer, but we understand the two clubs have agreed upon a £1.5m fee.

Cardiff chairman Dato Chan is flying in to join a board meeting this weekend which will decide on a new manager with Chris Hughton (ex-Newcastle United), Roberto Di Matteo (ex-West Brom) and Watford boss Malky Mackay the front-runners.

Chief executive Gethin Jenkins and director Alan Whiteley are heading up Cardiff’s quest for a new manager to replace Dave Jones and they will submit their shortlist after a series of interviews.

The need for a speedy decision is highlighted by Chopra’s talks with Ipswich manager Jewell, who sees the former Newcastle United and Sunderland striker as crucial to his club’s hopes in 2011-12.

Jewell has made it clear his number one priority is a goalscoring forward – and Chopra certainly fits that bill.

While City directors finalise their plans for a new manager, chief executive Jenkins is dealing with squad matters.

Seven loan players, including captain Craig Bellamy, have returned to their parent clubs while Jay Bothroyd, Burke, Adam Matthews and Gavin Rae are all out of contract and are moving on.

Bothroyd wants Premier League football with Everton leading the chase, while Matthews has joined Scottish Premier League giants Celtic.

Rae is wanted by both Aberdeen and League One club Charlton Athletic.

Hungarian defender Gabor Gyepes is another player considering his future.

He fell out of favour under Jones and told Hungarian newspaper Nemzeti Sport: “I prepared for the change, but this is a new situation.

“I am under contract for one more year and I think I will start pre-season training with Cardiff. But, despite the change in manager, I feel it would be good for me to find a new club, maybe in another country.”

Gyepes, aged 29, was signed by manager Jones and is due back at Cardiff City for next season along with fellow central defenders Mark Hudson, Dekel Keinan and Anthony Gerrard, now back from his season-long loan spell at Hull City where he was voted player of the season.

With Kevin McNaughton and Darcy Blake also able to operate at the heart of defence, the Bluebirds may not feel the need to strengthen in that area.

Gyepes is under contract with City until next summer, but was unhappy to be overlooked by Jones, saying: “I didn’t play after March and at the end of the season I was out of the squad.

“After our defeat against Swansea City in November our manager always blamed me for everything.”

The new Cardiff manager will have to move quickly to make decisions on City’s backroom and playing staff.